It Came From Japan!! - Mugen Pop Pop

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Experience the gadgets and toys of Japan in IGN Gear's new feature series.

By Scott Lowe

Welcome to It Came From Japan!!, IGN Gear's latest feature series wherein we will spotlight particularly odd, bizarre, or otherwise unfamiliar gadgets and toys from the Land of the Rising Sun. Some of the items we discuss may be available at select retailers in the United States, others may be exclusive to Japan, but in either case, the peculiarity of these products will be sure to peak your interest. <p . we keep a close eye on the various online import retailers but its hard to see every quirky gadget that comes down line. if you are fan of japanese gadgets and have discovered one new or old feel is deserving it came from japan recognition write us with your suggestion.

To kick off the series we are going to talk about the latest trinket to cross the seas for an American debut, Bandai's Mugen Pop Pop.

Although the product's official title is the Mugen Pop Pop, it has become more commonly referred to as the Bubblewrap Keychain in the U.S. Up until last month, the Mugen Pop Pop was available exclusively in Japan, where it was known as the Mugen Puchi Puchi. While nothing can compare to actually squeezing the life out of those innocent little air pockets in a sheet of bubble wrap, the Mugen Pop Pop is the next best thing. Appealing to the inner-obsessive compulsive, the Mugen Pop Pop is a tactile wonder. Instead of using thin plastic air pockets, the Mugen Pop Pop uses rubber-like buttons and a small on-board speaker to replicate the sound and feel of real bubble wrap.

At first we were somewhat disappointed by the tactile feel of the Mugen Pop Pop. We were expecting something a more true-to-life, perhaps thinner plastic buttons with less resistance, but ultimately we were hoping for something that could never be. After all, there is no such thing as a never ending supply of bubble wrap. Instead, we came to embrace the Mugen Pop Pop's unique and alarmingly addictive popping.

The Mugen Pop Pop comes in keychain form for instantaneous popping gratification, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Fortunately we were smart enough to keep the Pop Pop off of our actual keychain, because we'd probably annoy and alienate all of our friends and family if we had the ability to pop away at all times. The keychain has eight buttons, arranged in three rows. The keychain can be used with one hand for multitasking, but we prefer the therapeutic relief of grabbing the thing with two hands and mashing the buttons into poppy oblivion.

When it comes right down to it, the Mugen Pop Pop is less of a novelty item and more of a stress reliever. When you pop away at the device you experience a type of tactile relief comparable to a stress ball. What's more, you are rewarded for your obsessive efforts with a variety of sound effects. After you've popped a hundred times, the Mugen Pop Pop chimes with the sound of a bark, doorbell, car horn, or a number of other peculiar and seemingly unrelated sounds. Bandai has aptly dubbed the sound effects as "surprise sounds," but really there is no surprise involved. The only real purpose of the surprise sounds are to effectively indicate the debilitating nature of your ever-growing Pop Pop addiction.

As we previously mentioned, the Mugen Pop Pop was only previously exclusive to Japan. It has since been picked up by Toys 'R Us and Target locations nationwide. Now everyone can join in on the habit forming fun!

The Mugen Pop Pop comes in four colors--Raspberry, Blueberry, Lime, and Ice--and is available now for $5.99.